Dolphin
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| Developer(s) | Dolphin Emulator Project |
|---|---|
| Latest version | 2409 [+] |
| Active | Yes |
| Platform(s) | Windows Linux macOS Android |
| Architecture(s) | x86_64, ARM |
| Emulates | GameCube Wii Game Boy Advance (for connectivity features) |
| Compatibility | Compatibility list |
| Website | Dolphin-emu.org |
| License | GNU GPLv2 |
| Source code | GitHub |
| BIOS/Keys | Optional |
Dolphin is an open-source GameCube and Wii emulator that is also available as a libretro core for RetroArch.
Contents
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Development versions |
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Official Release* Rolling releases |
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Unofficial MMJR | |
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Unofficial MMJ | |
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Unofficial iOS port | |
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Triforce Branchfor Triforce support | |
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dolphin-emu Package Listingat pkgs.org | |
* Linux support comes in the form of an official Ubuntu PPA. See pkgs.org for other distributions.
Recommended setup
System requirements
- Main article: Computer_specifications#Dolphin
Controllers
- DualShock 3/Xbox 360 controller
- USB Bluetooth adapter
- Wiimote (and MotionPlus for games that require it)
- Nunchuk
- Wireless Sensor Bar
Overview
Dolphin is a GameCube / Wii emulator that supports many extra features not present on the original consoles, such as upscaling and texture replacements. Early development was supported by a very active homebrew scene led by fail0verflow (previously known as Team Twiizers). Dolphin's development is still very active as of 2024, with many contributors to its GitHub repository updating the emulator multiple times a week.[1]
Dolphin's official website, dolphin-emu.org, also runs a blog, with multiple progress reports throughout the year detailing pull requests from contributors, and providing comprehensive and in-depth feature articles. Dolphin's website also features a wiki with guides on setup for multiple parts of the emulator and detailed game articles featuring useful information regarding compatibility, performance, and associated peripherals.
Features
- Widescreen
Dolphin has support for widescreen output and can override the aspect ratio of the original game. However, this is a hack that rarely works without issues. Many games feature Action Replay and/or Gecko codes that do a better job at adding widescreen support, and said codes can be found on Dolphin's own wiki.
- Netplay
- Main article: Dolphin Online
Dolphin has the ability to connect to WFC servers thanks to servers such as Wiimmfi, alongside having its own capabilities of netplay to support local play.
- GBA Connection Support
Using Dolphin's own version of mGBA, the GameCube GameBoy Advance cable is fully emulated with netplay support.[2]
- Texture Packs
- Main article: Texture packs#GameCube/Wii
Dolphin lets you dump game textures and also replace game textures with new custom ones. Dolphin's wiki and forums include many links to community-made texture packs. The main article includes the most notable ones, though many more are available.
- VR support
There exists an old fork with VR support called Dolphin VR.
The Dolphin Team has had multiple pull requests related to VR implementation using OpenXR, though all pull requests related have been closed as of March 2024.[3][4][5]
Guides and info
- Performance Guide
- Dolphin Wiki & Game Specific Guides
- Netplay Guide
- Using Gecko Codes
- Dolphin Emulator Gecko Codes after version 5.0
- Forums
- Wind Waker Benchmark, POV-Ray Benchmark, and lua-bench - bottom of the pages to change tabs
References
- ↑ Dolphin issue list (closed issues)
- ↑ Integrated GBA - Dolphin Wiki
- ↑ jordan-woyak. WIP - OpenXR. GitHub.
- ↑ Ivonasek. OpenXR - Basic integration for Meta Quest
- ↑ Maylmilae, JMC47. Dolphin Progress Report: August and September 2019. "In general, despite the loss of NVIDIA 3D Vision, Dolphin's 3D support has been modernized to work with the new VideoCommon and should be working better than ever between all of our backends. And these updates help lay the foundation for what's to come."
